Dispensing tip for gas-pressure containers



H. PYENSON DISPENSING TIP FOR GAS-PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed March 19,1951 INVENTOR. HARRY PYENSON BY f 14w Patented Nov. 24, 1953 DISPENSINGTIP FOR GAS-PRESSURE CONTAINERS Harry Pyenson, University City, Mo.,assignor to Development Research, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application March 19, 1951, Serial No. 216,310 6Claims. (01. 107-14) This invention relates to pressure containers forfluid foods and the like, adapted to dispense their contents in flufiedform by the expansion of gas, and relates more specifically todispensing tips for such containers.

Dispensing pressure-containers, such as are widely used for cream infiuffed condition, are ordinarily provided with a discharge spout intubular form whose tip end is simply crossslotted. The purpose of suchcross-slotting is to give tothe dispensed fiuifed cream a decorativeappearance by discharging it in a flow having a generally'cruciformcross-section, in the manner of a confectioners tip. However, the creamexpands rapidly as it passes through such a slotted tip, and fails topresent a smoothly-molded decorative appearance. On the contrary, thereis' generally much splattering of the contents, particularly if thedispensing pressures are high.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispensingtip for such containers for dispensing fiuffed cream and the like,whereby splattering of the contents will be substantially eliminated.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a decoratorstip for dispensing substances, such as fiuffed cream, in ornamentalform.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a tip fordispensing such substances in a form so smoothly surfaced as to resistthe loss of gas from the surface of the dispensed substance and delayshrinkage of the dispensed fluffed product. I

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dispensing container of a type adaptedto utilize the present invention and illustrating the utilizationthereof Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1through the valve and tip of such container;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the dispensing tip of such container takenalong line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which represents apreferred embodiment of the present invention, in Figures 1 and 2 acontainer body a is shown together with a top portion b sealed thereon.Through a central opening c in said top portion 1) extends a tubularsealing member d having a valve seat portion e within the container it.Through said sealing member d extends a tubular stem valve member helderect and urged to closed position by a coiled spring g.

Figure 2 shows in enlarged section the construction of the tubular stemvalve member and particularly its thick-walled tubular portion II andits tip portion I2. Said thick-walled tubular portion II is defined byan outer cylindrical wall I3, and the central bore I4 of said valvemember I. At the juncture of said thick: walled tubular portion I I andsaid tip portion I2 an annular face I5 extends outward from the saidbore I4, the width of said annular face I5 being at least equal to theradius of said bore I4 Upward and outward of said amiular face 25, thetip portion I2 is formed as if taperingly counterbored to the annularface I5, that is, the tip portion I2 slopes upward and outward from saidannular face I5 to the outer cylindrical surface I3. However, said tipportion I2 is cut and v-slotted to the depth of said annular face I5, soas to form a plurality of tooth-like members I6 arising therefrom, eachof which has four surfaces: the outer surface I3, an inwardly pre-,sented face I! which slopes from the periphery of the annular face I5upward and outward to the outer surface I3, and a pair of side faces It.The said V-slots which form said side faces I8 slope as follows: viewedin vertical plane, from the extreme end of the tip portion I2 inward toapexes in the same plane with said annular face I 5; and viewed inhorizontal plane, outward from the periphery of said annular face I5 toapexes at the, outer wall I3. Referring to Figure 3, the effect of suchV-slots in horizontal plane is to add points around the periphery of theannular face I5 changing it to a star-like form.

Figure 4 illustrates in effect a working? cross-section of thedispensing tip. Assuming its use on a cream container, it is apparentthat cream released through the bore I4 will be permitted a substantialdegree of unimpeded expansion when it passes the annular face I5.Thereafter, while in expanded or fluifed form, it will be forced by thecream emerging behind it to pass along the faces of the tooth-likemembers It. Considering the formation of a ribbon-like mass ofstar-shaped cross-section, it is apparent that the emerging surfacescorresponding to the points of the star will have passed along thetapering side faces I8.

The principles which bring about the success ful operation of thepresent invention can be explained in part as follows: substances undergas pressure which dissolve or suspend particles of gas, are rapidlyexpanded by them on release to atmospheric pressure. Assuming that thecontent of a gas-pressure dispensing container is whipping cream,charged with nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide gas, under pressuresranging from forty to two hundred and fifty pounds per square inch, therelease of pressure which takes place when the dispensed cream reachesthe dispensing tip causes the volume of the dispensed cream to besuddenly increased several times. The increase in volume, or overrun,will vary somewhat with the fat content of the cream, the temperature,the gas pressure employed, and the solubility of the gas used. Overrunsof between two hundred and five hundred percent are common, but greateroverruns are possible.

In making the present invention, it was-discovered that by providing anannular enlargement in the dispensing tip sufficient to permit theoverrun to be achieved before the cream is molded to decorative form,overcomes the violent splattering which takes place on dispensingthrough a simple cross-slotted tube. A decorative star-shaped emergingribbon is formed of already expanded cream by gently extruding suchexpanded cream across the side faces !8 (converging in plan view asshown in Figures 3 and 4) of the tooth-like members I5. Thus, twoimportant objects are achieved: splattering is minimized and thedispensed cream emerges with smooth projecting surfaces. The function ofthe side faces is in smoothing the expanded cream will now be analyzed.A comparison of masses of fiuffed cream, in rosebud form, dispensedthrough the tip described in this invention and similar masses of creamdispensed through a conventional slotted tip, shows that the presentinvention results in greatly increased surface smoothness, characterizedby a film sealing over bubbles of cream; as contrasted with a rough,pock-marked mass dispensed by the conventional tip, characterized bybroken gas bubbles and presenting a greater, highly irregular surface tothe atmosphere. According to tests, the dispensed mass presenting asmooth surface to the atmosphere will remain in fluffed conditionwithout appreciable shrinkage substantially longer than if dispensed byheretofore known tips.

While in the foregoing description I have defined a thick-walleddispensing tube. as one whose wall thickness is greater than the radiusof its bore, in actual practice I prefer one wherein the wall thicknessis at least equal to the diameter of the bore, so that the tooth-likemembers l6 have adequate thickness at their bases adjacent the annularface !5. Satisfactory results have been obtained utilizing an annularface l whose width is equal to the radius of the bore I4, as this willpermit-an immediate expansion to fully four times the volume. For creamwhich is dispensed at pressures greater than one hundred pounds persquare inch (as from highpressure refillable containers) furtherincrease in the width of the annular face, up to the point of itsequalling the diameter of the bore of the tube, may be foundadvantageous. This will permit an immediate expansion of the volume ninetimes. Because the problem of splattering is more pronounced at suchhigh pressures, the present invention is of particular value in itsapplication to such high-pressure containers.

While I have referred principally to the dispensing of fiuffed cream,the present invention is applicable to other substances, whether edibleor not, to be disposed under gas pressure in expanded form.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of thedispensing tip for gas-pressure containers may be made and substitutedfor these herein shown and described without departing from the natureand principle of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention what I now claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A spout for dispensing gas-charged substances in expanded form,comprising a tubular discharge neck having a wall thicker than theradius of its bore, an annular discharge end face extending radiallyoutward from said bore a width at least equal to the radius of the boreand providing space for the radial expansion of such gas-chargedsubstance, and a confectioners tip havin teeth spaced from each otherand positioned along the outer margin of said annular face whereby thedispensed substance is molded to a desired decorative-form after itsexpansion is substantially complete.

2. A spout for dispensing gas-charged substances in expanded form,comprising a tubular discharge neck having a wall thicker than theradius of its bore, an annular discharge end face extending radiallyoutward from said bore a width at least equal to the radius of the boreand providing space for the radial expansion of such gas-chargedsubstance, and a confectioners tip having teeth spaced from each otherand positioned along the outer margin of said annular face, the sidesurfaces of adjacent teeth sloping convergingly toward the outer tubewall in such manner as to smooth the surface of the expanded substanceand minimize the escape of gas therefrom.

3. A spout for dispensing gas-charged substances in expanded formcomprising a tubular discharge neck having a wall thicker than theradius of its bore, an annular discharge end faceextendin radiallyoutward from said bore a width at least equal to the radius of the-bore,and a confectioners tip havin teeth spaced from each other andpositioned along the outer marsin of said annular face, the sidesurfaces of adjacent teeth sloping convergingly toward the outer tubewall.

4. For use with a valved container in which a substance is mixed withgas under pressure, a discharge spout for dispensing such substance ingas-expanded form, comprising a cylindrical tube adapted to conduct suchsubstance from the container valve to the atmosphere, the tube having asubstantially star-shaped end face lying in a plane normal to the boreof the tube, the said end face comprisin an annular face portion and aplurality of circumferentially spaced star point face portions extendingoutward therefrom and having their apices at the outer wall of the tube,and a plurality of teeth forming a confectioners tip integral with thetube and extending from between the star point face portions axiallyoutward from said plane.

5. For use with a valved container in which a substance is mixed withgas under pressure, a discharge spout for dispensing such substance ingas-expanded form, comprising a cylindrical tube adapted to conduct suchsubstance from the container valve to the atmosphere, the tube having asubstantially star-shaped end face comprising an annular face portion,and a plurality of circumferentially spaced star point face portionsextending outward therefrom and having their apices at the outer wall ofthe tube, and a plurality of teeth forming a confectioners tip integralwith the tube and extending from between the star point face portionsaxially outward from said plane, each tooth having an inner surfacecommencing at the outer margin of the annular face and sloping radiallyand axially outward therefrom to a tip portion, each tooth furtherhaving side faces commencing at the margins of said star point faceportions and sloping axially outward convergingly toward the tipportion.

6. For use with a valved container in which a substance is mixed withgas under pressure, a discharge spout for dispensing such substance ingas-expanded form, comprising a cylindrical tube adapted to conduct suchsubstance from the container valve to the atmosphere, the tube having asubstantially star-shaped end face comprising an annular face portion,and a plurality of circumferentially spaced star point face portionsextending outward therefrom and having their apices at the outer wall ofthe tube, and a plurality of teeth forming a confectioners tip integralwith the tube and extendin from between the star point face portionsaxially outward from said plane, each tooth having a base portion whoseinner margin is defined by the portion of the perimeter of the end facebetween two adjacent star points thereof and whose outer margin isdefined by the portion of the outer tube surface between said points,each tooth further having side tooth surfaces sloping from the starpoint portions of the face convergingly to said tip, and an inner toothsurface sloping from an outer margin of the annular face axially andradially outward to said tip.

HARRY PYENSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 573,432 Megson Dec. 15, 1896 1,397,510 Grassi Nov. 22, 19212,487,434 Geiss Nov. 8, 1949 2,530,583 Nurkiewicz Nov. 21, 19502,612,293 Michel Sept. 30, 1952 2,613,016 Jarrett Oct. 7, 1952

